-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Having just quit a highly lucrative job with tech giant Microsoft in the United States , where he 'd made millions working as a program manager , Patrick Awuah would wake up once in a while wondering if he 'd done the right thing .

`` And then I read the words of Goethe , '' remembers Awuah : `` Whatever you can do or dream you can , begin it . Boldness has genius , power and magic in it -- begin it now . ''

What Awuah wanted to begin was to create a university in his native Ghana , a state-of-the-art education hub that would help educate the country 's next generation of leaders .

Inspired by the saying of the famous German writer , Awuah moved with his family back to Ghana . There , he invested his own money and with the help of other donors he founded Ashesi University .

`` Africa needs to have a renaissance , '' says Awuah , as he explains what drove him to take the risky decision .

`` The world needs to change in this way and I strongly believe that people like me who have had the privilege of a great education need to be part of the solution ; that I need to be really actively involved in helping to drive this change in Africa so that 30 , 50 years from now , the world will be a different place for all people of African descent in the world . ''

Fostering leaders

Located about an hour 's drive from the capital Accra , Ashesi , which appropriately translates to `` beginning , '' is the first Ghanaian university to combine technical majors with a liberal arts approach .

Its vibrant campus , set on 100 acres in a town called Berekuso , was designed to be inspiring for the more than 500 young Ghanaians studying there .

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And while Ashesi has already come a long way -- when the school first opened in 2002 there was no campus , just a couple of rented buildings for its 30 students -- Awuah plans to expand his offering as part of his dream of finding and developing Africa 's next problem solvers .

`` In this country , only 5 % of college-age kids go to college , '' he says . `` And there 's two problems with that number : one is it 's too small , but the second is that everyone who goes to college by definition is going to be running this country one day , the 5 % -- they 're going to be running the courts , they 're going to be designing roads and buildings and infrastructure , they 're going to be running the hospitals , the schools , the businesses .

`` So when I look at universities I see Africa fast-forward 30 years . When this 20-year-old is now in his or her 50s , that person is going to be a leader . And so I felt that engaging how that leadership , that future leadership core , is educated could be catalytic . ''

Tough decisions

Awuah , who grew up in Accra , left Ghana in 1985 to pursue his own education in the United States . There , he got a job at Microsoft , spearheading software design for dial-up internet access , making millions in the process .

He admits that quitting Microsoft was not an easy decision and credits his American wife for supporting him .

`` I wo n't lie to you -- it was tough , '' says Awuah . `` But I can tell you that when I mentioned this idea to my wife , she immediately agreed , '' he adds . `` She 'd never been to Africa before she met me and part of her conviction that this sounded like a good idea and her willingness to go ahead with it was very encouraging . ''

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Committed to providing greater education opportunities in Ghana , he went back to school himself , earning a Master 's degree at Berkeley , one of the world 's top business schools . For his efforts , he 's won many awards .

Changing the continent

Today Ashesi , which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year , offers degrees in business , information systems and computer science , with plans to offer engineering and economics majors in the near future . Its graduation rate is between 70 and 90 % , according to Awuah .

Total fees costs $ 9,000 a year , including tuition , housing and meals . Awuah says the university brings together a diverse mix of students from different backgrounds , including scholarship-winning undergraduates from humble beginnings who are the first in their families to attend college .

Read this : Young innovators can change how world sees Africa

`` Our last freshman class , 50 % of that class paid full tuition , 25 % were on full scholarships and 25 % on partial scholarships , '' he says . `` The reason why diversity 's so important is that the most important conversation on campus is a conversation about the good society -- what is the good society we would like to see in Africa ? ' That conversation is a lot more interesting if you have diversity in the classroom , '' adds Awuah .

`` Because each person has an important perspective to share , but each person also has certain blinders that need to be peeled away -- that can be peeled away if they 're in a room with others who have other perspectives as they do . ''

Looking ahead , Awuah says he hopes Africa 's universities will cultivate a new generation of bold and innovative leaders , helping the continent to transform itself .

`` If you come back in 30 years , universities will be competing for the best and brightest students , '' he says . `` I hope that universities will also be competing on things such as whose students are the most ethical , '' he adds . '' If that happens , it will change the continent . ''

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Patrick Awuah is the founder of Ashesi University in Ghana

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He was working for Microsoft and made millions in the United States before returning to his home country

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Ashesi is known for its high-tech facilities and emphasis on business , technology and leadership

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The school celebrates its 10th anniversary this year